The human spine is a vertebral column enclosing the spinal cord which consists of 34 bones: 7 cervical, 12 dorsal or thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral vertebrae forming one bone, the sacrum and 4 coccygeal vertebrae fused to form the coccyx. In a normal orientation the column adopts a particular "S"]shaped curve beginning with the concave cervical region extending to the convex dorsal or thoracic region, followed by a concave lumbar region which joins the sacral and coccyx bones to form the lauda equina region.
In a healthy optimum condition, the vertebrae of the spinal column are well placed in relation to each other so as to avoid excessive contact or pressure.
In a diseased, pressured or injured state however, the vertebrae can come into contact with each other or be placed under stress which can result in a number of symptoms including muscular strain, vertebrae misalignment or dislocation, nerve irritation etc, all amounting to one form or another of back problem.
Back injury can result from a wide range of causes. Anything from an actual direct injury, poor posture for a prolonged period of time, poor bending or lifting methods or simply old age where the vertebrae and/or the fibrocartilage intervertebral disks wear can result in injury. In particular wear on the back occurs mainly between the 5th lumbar and sacral vertebrae.
Once the back has been stressed or injured, it is vital to pay particular attention to correcting any deviation from its proper shape and/or to relieve any stress in order to facilitate recovery. If any form of back problem is left unattended for a long period of time, acute or chronic pain and injury can result requiring surgery, traction or other drastic forms of correction.